Bridgend should not be demonised

The increased number of suicides in the Bridgend area (Report, February 20) has rightly alarmed parents and professionals everywhere and drawn attention to a distressing aspect of more widespread mental health problems among young people. But we should try to avoid grasping for simple answers or attempting to blame soft targets such as tabloid journalism. Sensationalist press reporting doesn't help, but it equally does not make someone kill themselves. Each young person's suicide will have happened as a result of a unique history and set of circumstances.

What we do know is that the data on suicides among young people are unreliable due to the number of attempts that fail and the practice among coroners of not recording many suicides due to lack of evidence of intent and/or out of sensitivity to the parents. What is being obscured in the current publicity is the sheer scale of mental health problems in children and young people which is being denied, avoided and neglected by adults, leading them to feel hopeless and helpless, and left to contemplate a devastating final act of desperation.Steven WalkerAnglia Ruskin University

The national suicide rate for young men is 17.4 per 100,000, and for young women 5.3 per 100,000. About half these male suicides are by hanging and about one third of the female suicides. This means the Bridgend area of about 100,000 people would have a statistical expectation of about 18 suicides by young males over the past 13 months, of which nine would have been by hanging - and six suicides by young women, two by hanging. When the media ramps up this story, it should be borne in mind that the copycat effect accounts for about six deaths beyond statistical expectations. They are no less sad, but Bridgend does not deserve to be demonised - just to get better counselling facilities.Phillip HodsonPsychotherapist, London